Company & LLP Registration — Pvt Ltd, OPC & Startup

Get your business registered in India with free AI-guided steps. Compare Private Limited, LLP, OPC and proprietorship — then follow the exact document list and process for your chosen structure.

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What you can do here

Compare Pvt Ltd vs LLP vs OPC vs proprietorship — which suits you best
Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), Director Identification Number (DIN) and MCA name reservation
MOA/AOA drafting and SPICe+ e-form filing on MCA portal
Post-incorporation: INC-20A commencement, bank account, GST and Udyam registration
Annual ROC compliance: AOC-4, MGT-7/7A, board meetings and DIN KYC

Decide on funding first — it eliminates most options

If you intend to raise external investment, a private limited company is effectively the only practical structure, because investors need shares to buy and a board to sit on. If you do not, an LLP delivers the same limited liability with materially lighter and cheaper annual compliance. An OPC suits a single founder but must convert once prescribed thresholds are crossed. A proprietorship is the cheapest to start and the simplest to run, but leaves your personal assets exposed. Start from the funding question and the rest usually follows.

The sequence, and where it stalls

Broadly: obtain digital signatures for the proposed directors, reserve the name, then file SPICe+ with the MOA and AOA, which also generates PAN, TAN and the DIN for new directors. Delays almost always come from two places. Name approval fails where the proposed name resembles an existing company or a registered trademark — check both registers first and keep a second option ready. Address proof fails where the utility bill, the NOC and the premises do not agree.

The step most new companies miss

A newly incorporated company cannot lawfully commence business until INC-20A is filed, which requires the subscribers to have paid in their share capital and the company to have a bank account. It is due within 180 days of incorporation. Because incorporation feels like the finish line, this filing is routinely forgotten — and it carries penalties as well as blocking the company from trading. Open the bank account, deposit the capital, file INC-20A, then start.

Budget for the annual cost, not the incorporation fee

Incorporation is a one-off; compliance is forever. A private limited company owes AOC-4, MGT-7 or MGT-7A, ADT-1 on auditor appointment and DIR-3 KYC for every director each year, plus a statutory audit with no turnover threshold — all of it applicable even if the company never trades. An LLP owes Form 11 by 30 May and Form 8 by 30 October, with audit only above thresholds. Compare structures on this recurring number, because it is the one you pay repeatedly.

A company name is not a trademark

Approval of a company name at the MCA gives you the right to be registered under that name. It does not give you rights in the brand, and it does not stop someone with a registered trademark from objecting to your use of it. If the name matters commercially, search the trademark register before incorporating and file a trademark application separately. Discovering the conflict after you have printed materials and built a customer base is the expensive order to do this in. Once registered, the ROC filing guide covers what falls due each year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum capital for a Private Limited Company?

There is no minimum paid-up capital requirement under the Companies Act 2013. You can register with ₹1 authorised capital. Most startups use ₹1 lakh authorised capital.

How long does company incorporation take?

Typically 7–15 working days once all documents are correct. SPICe+ streamlines name reservation, incorporation, PAN, TAN, EPFO, ESIC and bank account into a single integrated form.

What documents are needed for company registration in India?

Typically: PAN and Aadhaar of all directors, address proof of the registered office (utility bill + NOC from owner), passport-size photos, and MOA/AOA. Foreign directors need apostilled documents.

What is DPIIT startup recognition?

DPIIT (Dept for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) recognises eligible startups — those up to 10 years old, turnover under ₹100 crore, working on innovation. Benefits include tax exemption under Section 80-IAC, faster winding up and self-certification of labour laws.